hi, im new to this forum just thought id introduce myself. my names john, i have a 1986 jeep cherokee pioneer 2.8l v6. i joined because some friends told me there is alot of helpful stuff on here for people starting to build a jeep. i would like to talk with some people who have the same model jeep as mine, i have alot of questions. feel free to comment and tell me about your vehicle.

Welcome to the forum,you will find tons of info on here and some good people using the search feature is a great way to find info quick and with less sarcastic answers but most sarcasm is in good fun,I drive a 98 sport with about a 5.5 inch lift and still mostly stock drivetrain.

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ah,beer the cause of and cure to all of lifes problems ...Homer J Simpson... I am the guy in the red jeep!

Probably the best way as a new member is to sign up for a free photobucket account at Photobucket.com then upload to their site.
Once that's done you can put the IMG links they provide into your posts and they'll show up as the pictures.

What kind of questions do you have?

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***Chris***

"You can set my jeep on fire and roll it down a hill,
But I still wouldn't trade it for a Coupe DeVille."

Wow that was quick. I changed your link from the direct/clickable one to the IMG link which photobucket lists a couple lines below the other, so it'll show up as a picture. Hope you don't mind.

I'm gonna say your XJ's in amazing shape for it's age. In Indiana any vehicle more than 25 years old qualifies for special Historic Vehicle license plates and I don't see many that nice. Looks like you've got a great base to start your build with there.
I like the openable wing windows. Looks like upsized tires and maybe a little lift already. What have you got planned for her?

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***Chris***

"You can set my jeep on fire and roll it down a hill,
But I still wouldn't trade it for a Coupe DeVille."

Well thanks for the good comments and that's how it was when I bought it. I had to do some minor engine work to get it running smooth, but I'm wanting to do a 3in suspension lift with 31s or 33s, bumbers, snorkel, lights, and maybe re gear the rear end. But I honestly don't know where to start

Well if you go 3 inch 33's will be a tight fit without trimming the wheel wells or bumpstopping like crazy,over 3 inches you may need a slip yoke eliminator kit to help with drive line vibes,then there is the question of long arms or short? You may want to do a bunch of research before you decide where you want to go with this build.10 years ago I thought I would be happy with a 3 inch lift well now I'm closer to 5.5 inches with long arms 4.10 gears and locked with 33's as my daily driver,I could have saved tons of one and money if I looked around a bit,but 10 years ago the Cherokee was not as big as they are now o it was a learning experience for me. I would search oh members on the forum who may live near you and see if they would be interested in meeting up so you can see different ideas jeep shows are great for that as well.

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ah,beer the cause of and cure to all of lifes problems ...Homer J Simpson... I am the guy in the red jeep!

Definitely START with the maintenance/restoration--get that thing as healthy as you can, then move-on to the mods; it looks like it's in pretty great shape, so it shouldn't be too hard to get it to 100% again. Suspension lifts are generally something you should research so that you know exactly what you want and can do it the right way from the start. There's a lot of wisdom around here, so don't be shy about asking questions.

The 2.8 V6 is a fine engine, but it is widely accepted as being underpowered. I wouldn't recommend just throwing it away--definitely drive that engine as long as it'll go--but there are better engines that can fit right in when the day comes to retire the 2.6--just wanted to make you aware of that. Lots of guys like the 3.4 out of Camaro/Firebird--easy swap. If you're open to a bit more modification to mounting/wiring/etc, the Buick 3800 is another option, and some people even go to the Chevy 4.3. Anything is possible depending on how much work you'd want to do, and some guys even do modifications and swap body parts around to make their old GM engine XJs accept the 4.0. Why did I bring this up? Don't be scared; your XJ is great, and I guarantee it's generating envy among some of us. I just wanted to a drop an FYI especially since you're hoping to put bigger tires on, the extra power of a larger engine might be appreciated someday even though a regear should do wonders for when you get to it.

Thanks guys, so much help!! And on the lift I was stuck on getting a 3.5in or a 4.5 in, and I had planed to cut my wheel wells out to. But the only think that I am remotely worried about Would have to be the tire size. How big is to big for the 2.8l? I don't know where to go with it.. I had a big v8 before my jeep so tires weren't a problem.

Try those out for helping figure tires and gears. I definitely wouldn't worry about 33" or smaller for the V6. A proper regear will keep everything running as it should. If you go to 33", you may want to add some brake enhancements (search around, and you'll find lots of ideas written by your fellow Jeepers) to your mod list as well to help you stop all that mass--not essential, so you can get the tires first and worry about brakes later, but I do think you'll be grateful for the increased braking power if you use tires that big.